It can be appreciated that communications and/or control systems generally require an abundance of wiring, both in industrial and residential applications. By way of example, protective conduit is initially installed in many applications, where such conduit generally comprises metal piping that is run from a switch junction box to a junction box of the load or device being serviced. Once the conduit is in place, wiring is pulled through the piping and then mechanical connections are made between source and load devices to complete the circuit(s).
It can be appreciated that the conduit and wiring can be expensive, and that installing them and making all the necessary connections can take time and be labor intensive. Additionally, where multiple devices are serviced on one or more circuits, these steps have to be performed multiple times. In addition to cost concerns, reliability and safety issues can arise in such arrangements since physical parts of the circuits can wear. For example, wiring and wired connections (which are the medium for electric signals in the circuits) may thin and/or become brittle over time, such as from exposure to temperature extremes and/or carrying excessive currents. Additionally, rodents and/or household pets can chew through wiring creating safety issues. In any event, there are an abundance of cost, reliability and/or safety issues that make it desirable to facilitate wireless communications.